Your guide to creating a quality course

With this guide we aim to provide a structured path to course ideation, creation, publication,
marketing, and maintenance.

Our recommended course creation process is rooted in the Backward Design framework,
which means you don’t start with your course content. Instead, choose your course topic,
learner audience, and then develop the learning objectives you wish to help learners achieve.
Then you’ll develop the course content and learning activities to help your learners achieve
them. This tends to create a more engaging learning experience, resulting in happier learners
(and better reviews). After course publication, the next phase begins; most successful
instructors invest time in marketing, iterating, and maintaining their courses over time.

Step 1: Define your course topic and ideal learner

audience
Choose a course topic that you’re passionate about, that excites you, and that you’re
knowledgeable in. Your topic should meet the needs of real-world learners, whether it’s for
professional or personal development. Define precisely who your audience is, and what skills
they aim to learn, then refine your idea based on learner demand. Perhaps there’s a special
topic within your field that lacks extensive course offerings, or maybe a recent development
in your industry has created an opportunity for new content. Read more about this in
our define your audience and objectives guide.

Tip: You can check demand interest on Udemy to validate or refine your course idea. Use
our Marketplace Insights tool to understand what topics are in demand across our
marketplace. If you’re interested in reaching enterprise learners, there’s also our Udemy
Business content opportunities tool* which offers a look at what subjects are needed most by
companies that use Udemy Business.

*Note: The tool is currently only available to instructors in good standing who have at least
one course with a 4.2 star rating across 25+ ratings for English content or 10+ ratings for
non-English content. Opportunities currently display in English, even when an opportunity
targets a course in another language. The Udemy team is working to enable official
translations of all opportunities.

Step 2: Create your course learning objectives

Based on the audience you’ve identified, think about what your ideal learners will learn in
your course. Determine your course’s learning objectives: the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
you want learners to have after taking your course. This will help you focus your course
content and ensure you’re meeting these objectives. Learning objectives will also help you
position your course to prospective learners. You can read more about this in our create your
learning objectives guide.

Step 3: Outline your course

Now that you know exactly what outcomes you want for your learners, it’s time to build the
foundation of your course! Create an outline for your course content that includes a blend of
lectures, practice activities, and assessments that aligns with your learning objectives. You
can read more about this in our outline your course guide.

Step 4: Plan your practice activities and assessments

Adding practice activities and assessments to your course can help engage your learners.
Learners can practice what you’re teaching and start to think about how they’ll apply what
they’re learning in the real world. These exercises help learners assess their knowledge and
comprehension. You can read more about this in our practice activities and assessments
guide.

Step 5: Record and produce your course content

Now it’s time to create. Script and record your lectures, and create resources, exercises, and
assessments that you’ll share throughout the course. Read more about producing your video
lectures in our scripting and recording sections.

Step 6: Publish your course

To craft your course landing page, use the learning objectives and ideal learner audience you
developed earlier. This will help learners discover your course and set the right expectations
for what they can learn. You can read more about this in our create your course landing
page guide.

Every submitted course is reviewed by our Trust & Safety team to ensure the course meets
our requirements before it’s published on Udemy.

If you plan to charge for your course and participate in revenue sharing, you will be required
to become a premium instructor and select a price tier before you publish. After publication,
you will need to submit a valid tax form to receive payouts.

Step 7: Market your course

Build buzz around your course! Share course coupon codes with friends and colleagues.
Work on getting social proof for your course by encouraging your learners to review your
course. You can read more about getting reviews in our establish your credibility with
reviews guide.

If you’d like to benefit from Udemy promotional programs and pricing data, opt in to Udemy
Deals. If you would like your course to be considered for our subscription offerings, and
potentially reach over 15k enterprise customers worldwide, opt in to Udemy Business
Content Subscriptions.

Step 8: Engage with learners

Once your course is published, it’s time to engage with your learners. Participate in Q&A,
engage with learner reviews, and provide feedback on learner assignments. Pro tip: The more
you engage with your learners, the more likely they are to engage with your course. You can
read more about this in our engage with your learners guide.

Step 9: Iterate on your course content

Keep your course fresh! Review your course’s performance in the instructor dashboard to get
insights on where learners are getting stuck. Update your content in response to industry
changes, learner feedback, or new insights you wish to share.

End of the guide.

Choose your course topic

To increase your chances of being successful on Udemy, you want to spend some time really
thinking through your course topic. Start with a topic that you’re knowledgeable in and
passionate about. Then, think about the audience you will be teaching and what they are
interested in learning. Next, use tools specific to the Udemy marketplace to help you refine
your topic and explore marketplace demand and trends using our Marketplace Insights tool.
Check your topic’s demand and competition
When choosing what you’ll teach with Udemy, pick a topic you’re experienced in and
genuinely excited about. For many, this could be a number of things. How do you pick
the right topic? One way is to explore the topic’s demand and competition by visiting
our Marketplace Insights tool which can also be found on your instructor dashboard under
Tools.

When you land on the Marketplace Insights page, you’ll see a list of “Promising Topics”
which are currently in high demand. If you see a topic on the list that you’re knowledgeable
in, this could be a great teaching opportunity. Otherwise, continue to enter your topic into the
search field and hit enter.
Based off your topic’s supply and demand, the tool will provide the following information:
Opportunity overview

Recommended strategy for teaching this topic on Udemy:

 This topic is a great opportunity. Learner demand is high for this topic but the number of
courses available is low, which makes it a great opportunity to create a course on this topic.
 Aim for high ratings to succeed in this topic. For maximum impact, make sure your course
stands out from others by delivering high ratings from your learners. Submit a Test Video to
make sure your recording delivers a high-quality experience and to exceed student
expectations. Strive to meet or surpass all the recommended items on our Course Quality
Checklist and Student Experience Checklist. You may want to consider including practice
activities as a way to differentiate your course from the others. This is a great way to create a
course that engages your learners.
 Have a marketing strategy to succeed in this topic. To compete among the top courses in
this topic you’ll need to implement effective marketing strategies to drive learners to your
course. This could be by building a presence on YouTube, Facebook or another social media
 platform to drive traffic and enrollments to your course. Learn more about marketing
strategies.
 Differentiate your course to succeed in this topic. Although there might be a lot of courses
in this topic area, you might be able to make your course stand out from the rest. There are
many ways to approach each topic and we have learners who appreciate unique perspectives
that are relevant to them. Focus on your true specialty within this broader topic area.
 Bring your “A” game to succeed in this topic. Both learner demand and course availability
are high for this subject. This means you’ll really need to create an amazing course with high
ratings, a smart marketing strategy, and a well-differentiated topic from the others to stand out
from the courses already in our marketplace.

Other high level information includes the topic’s student demand based on the learner search
volume, the topic’s supply based on the number of courses on the marketplace in this topic,
and monthly revenue information to help you understand this topic’s revenue potential.
Student demand
A deeper dive into how this topic performs from a search perspective. This includes how this
topic’s search volume compares against others on our marketplace, the 6 month search trend,
and top search keywords. You can explore the other topics of interest to understand what
what else learners who search this topic are also searching for. There’s also enrollment
information by channel so you can see how learners find these courses which may be helpful
to determine your marketing strategy. Finally, the conversion rate measures the rate at which
learners paid for the a course in this topic after visiting the course landing page.
Topic competition
Understand the overall supply for the given topic by seeing the total number of courses in the
marketplace that have it listed as the primary topic. There’s some information about the
learner-perceived quality of the courses in this topic, and you can explore a list of the top
earning courses to see what content is being taught, learn more about the instructor, the
course’s length, price, and more.
End of choose your course topic guide.

Define your ideal learner audience

The first step in creating any kind of content is to know exactly whom you’re creating it for.
Think about your future learners — who will be interested in taking your course? Are they
looking for a quick tutorial or a comprehensive overview? Do they have existing expertise or
are they a complete beginner? What other content is serving them today?
Having a clear idea of your audience will help you teach the right content at the right level,
resulting in better learning outcomes and reviews. And it will help you market your course
effectively — by listing your ideal learners on your course landing page, prospective learners
will be able to better determine whether your course is the right fit for them. In this article,
we’ll share some best practices to help you define your learners effectively.
Don’t teach for “everyone”
You’re more likely to have success with Udemy if you create a course with specific learners
in mind, rather than catering to a broad audience.
For example:
DO try to be more specific: Entry-level employees who lack confidence in public speaking
and want to grow their career by improving their public speaking skills.
DON’T be too open-ended: Anyone who wants to learn public speaking.
Ask questions to identify your ideal learner audience
To identify your ideal learner audience, you’ll need to answer questions about their
motivations, knowledge, and interests. This will help you define learner personas and help
you to create content specifically for them, which can lead to better ratings and reviews and
help you build credibility as an instructor.
Get started by answering the questions below.
 What goals, interests, or challenges are driving learners to take a course in your topic
area? Answering this clearly will help you focus on your audience’s motivations for engaging
with your course and align your content with the outcomes they are trying to achieve.
 Who is your content suitable for? Who is it not suitable for? It can be tempting to say that
your content is for everyone, but be honest: is it really for everyone? Being specific about
whom your content is meant for is key to creating the best experience for your audience, and
to helping your prospective audience discover and decide whether to enroll in your course.
 What skills or knowledge should they already know about your topic? This will help you
align your content to your audience’s specific level of experience. Think back to when you
were first learning your topic. What terms did you need defined? What frameworks were new
to you?
 How will your audience use your content? Building real-world skills is what Udemy is all
about. How your ideal learner will use what you’re teaching is important. Think about the
setting (business, academic, etc) and the application (theoretical, practical). Maybe they’ll use
it to train others or apply the skill themselves in their work environment.
 How are others teaching your topic? What you bring to your topic is what can set your
course apart from others. So eavesdrop on the competition, and see where you can offer up
something different. It could be that your experience is in a different industry, or your
technique offers up alternative solutions. Identify and play up what makes your course
unique.

As you answer these questions, keep in mind the types of learners that take your courses.
They may be taking your course on their own time or learning at work. Think about all the
scenarios in which someone might be taking your course as you go through the questions.
Once you’ve identified your audience, think about them throughout the entire course creation
process. Create your online course through the eyes and minds of those learners.
Define your ideal learner audience for your course landing
page
Once you’ve identified your audience, you will list them on your course landing page using
the “Who is this course for?” question in the intended learners area of the course builder. This
text is visible to prospective learners, so craft statements or personas that appeal to your
intended learner audience. This will help learners discover your course and decide if it is the
right course for them.
Key Takeaways
 Define your ideal learner audience clearly and avoid generalization. This will help you design
your course for a specific persona, which leads to better learning experiences for your
learners, and better ratings and reviews.
 Use the questions above to think through your learners’ motivations and needs. This will help
you create learner personas and align your course content to their circumstances.
 List your intended learners on your course landing page to help prospective learners decide if
the course is a good fit for them.

End of choose your audience section.

Create your learning objectives
What are learning objectives?
Learning objectives are specific statements that define what learners will be able to do — and
what skills they will learn — after taking your course. They should be demonstrable,
meaning a learner can demonstrate that they’ve achieved a learning objective through action,
and measurable, meaning what someone has learned could be measured through assessment.
As an example: “Use the ‘situation, behavior, impact’ framework to deliver constructive
feedback to your colleagues.” A learner could demonstrate for themselves that they’ve
achieved this objective by writing feedback using the framework, and an instructor could
measure or assess the learner’s skill by reading the written feedback.

Why are learning objectives important?

Learning objectives are crucial to position your course for prospective learners and should be
the foundation of your course content. They appear as a bulleted list on your CLP and in a
pop up when a user hovers over the course on the homepage or search page. They may be the
first things learners see and should offer an immediate understanding of what skills they can
expect to gain from your course. This is what they do:
 Provide clarity for learners: Learning objectives — in a way — are like a look into the
future. They’re what a learner should know how to do once they’ve finished your course. But
they should also communicate the skill level learners need to have to get there. Learners
spend their time and (often) their money in hopes of learning skills in return. So well-written
learning objectives will help them to decide if your course is right for them and their own
career objectives. You can read more about defining your ideal learner audience in our define
your audience guide.
 Outline your course content: Learning objectives also help you structure both your overall
course and your individual sections, lectures, and practice activities. Using them throughout
your course content helps you build your content progressively and usually leads to a better
learner experience. Read more in our outline your course guide.

Make your course appealing with learning objectives on

your course landing page (CLP)
You will create at least four learning objectives for your course that will be visible to
prospective learners on the “What You’ll Learn” section of your course landing page (CLP).
When crafting your course learning objectives for your CLP, try to describe the skills and
benefits learners can expect to gain as a result of taking your course, in an accurate and
compelling way. You want enough learning objectives to comprehensively cover what’s
included in your course, but not so many that a potential learner might glaze over them. Make
sure your learning objectives are rooted in tasks, skills, or goals that your learners genuinely
want to achieve. Avoid keyword stuffing, overpromising, or vague objectives.
Hint: Try imagining yourself as a prospective learner and check out the learning objectives of
other courses that are similar to yours. What would make you choose one course over
another?

Ground your learning objectives in Learning Design

principles
You can employ frameworks like Bloom’s Taxonomy to craft learning objectives that span a
range of cognitive levels, from basic recall of facts to higher-order thinking like analysis and
evaluation.
Consider what level of understanding or familiarity your ideal learner has with your topic,
and craft your learning objectives accordingly.
Bloom’s Taxonomy contains six different levels of understanding. You’ll want to choose the
most appropriate for a lecture or activity:
1. Remembering: Ability to recall or recognize information such as facts, terms, and basic
concepts without understanding the underlying concepts
2. Understanding: Ability to explain ideas or concepts
3. Applying: Ability to apply the material in new situations
4. Analyzing: Ability to draw connections among ideas
5. Evaluating: Ability to make judgments based on criteria and standards
6. Creating: Ability to create new work or ideas from existing ones

As an easy example, imagine a basic course on geometry. At the understanding level, a

learning objective could be: “Know how to calculate the area for triangles, squares, and
circles.”
Hint: People visit Udemy both to learn concepts but also specific skills — so those skills are
a good thing to mention in your course objectives. In our geometry example, math a learner
might be here to understand the concept of shape areas as well as the skills to calculate them.

The importance of specificity, authenticity, and realism

Make sure your learning objectives are rooted in tasks or goals that your learners genuinely
want to achieve. Avoid the pitfalls of keyword stuffing, overpromising, or vague objectives.
For instance, for our “basic geometry” course example, compare these two learning
objectives:
 Use all the geometric formulas to go from beginner to absolute to shape master
 Use basic geometric formulas to calculate shape area, as well as the hypotenuse of a triangle,
and the circumference of a circle.

The second is both specific and realistic, whereas the first is vague and over-promising. Aim
to make your learning objectives more like the second.

How to write effective course learning objectives

Effective learning objectives are clear, specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant to
learners. They should be action-oriented, align with your course content and assessments, and
be written in clear, understandable language.
You can use this process to get started:
1. Identify the concept or skill you want learners to learn. Example: The hypotenuse of a
triangle
2. Identify the level of understanding you want learners to demonstrate. In Bloom’s Taxonomy,
there are six levels of understanding (remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create).
For this example, we’ll choose “apply.”
3. Select a verb that is demonstrable and measurable to describe the behavior at the appropriate
level of learning. Example: Calculate the hypotenuse using the Pythagorean theorem.
4. Add additional criteria to indicate how or when the outcome will be demonstrable to add
context for the learner. Example: Calculate the hypotenuse of a right triangle for a simple
construction diagram.
Key takeaways
 Learning objectives are specific, measurable statements that define what learners will be able
to do after taking your course.
 Effective learning objectives are clear, achievable, and relevant, avoiding pitfalls like
overpromising or vague language.
 Create course learning objectives for your Course Landing Page (CLP) that position your
course and its benefits accurately for prospective learners.
 Utilize learning objectives to help outline your course sections, lectures, and practice
activities to enhance content structure and learner experience.
 Use frameworks like Bloom’s Taxonomy to craft objectives that align with different cognitive
levels, from basic recall to higher-order thinking.

End of course objectives selection section.

Outline your course

Before you begin
Before delving into your course, consider the Backward Design approach. Start with defining
your learning objectives, and then design your course sections, lectures, and practice
activities in alignment with these objectives. Learn more about creating learning objectives in
our create your learning objectives guide.
What makes a good learning experience?
The most impactful courses are well-structured and guide learners through the subject matter
in an organized and thoughtful way. They help learners build their knowledge and confidence
with a clear beginning, middle, and end. And they incorporate a variety of lectures and
practice opportunities, including video and text lectures, quizzes, coding
exercises, assignments, and practice tests.
In general, it’s best for each course section to align to a single learning objective and include
lectures that cover the concepts and practice opportunities for learners to achieve those
objectives. Don’t try to cover too much in a single lecture — keep them short, and stick with
a specific topic, skill, or subject.
Tip: Consider modularity when structuring your course. Sometimes, learners will search for a
certain skill or answer to a question and only be interested in a specific lecture or even a
specific part of a lecture. Are your course components created and labeled such that a learner
who’s just dropping in can easily find what they need?
Get started with course outline template
Kickstart your course design with our recommended outline template. This resource employs
learning design best practices, and will help you structure your course effectively and lay a
solid foundation for the learning journey you’re about to create.
Build your course outline
Think of your course as a story. It should have three parts — a beginning, a middle, and an
end — that follow a logical flow that builds knowledge and skills in a way that is clear and
makes sense. It should also work for learners who are just dropping for a specific lecture.
Course Introduction
The goal at the beginning of your course is to motivate and hook your learners, who may still
be deciding if your course is right for them. Your introduction may be longer or shorter
depending on the total length of your course, but it’s probably best not to go over 10 minutes
or so. Start your course with the following:
 Intro lecture: Keep this short and simple, 2-4 minutes. Introduce yourself and explain why
you are the best person to teach this course. Set the right expectations, tell the learners what
they’ll learn from your course and what they’ll be able to do by the end of your course.
 Instructional lectures: Introduce your course topic and the basic foundations learners will
need to understand the concepts in your course. It’s a good idea to allude to what learners
might eventually be able to achieve once they understand the more advanced concepts of your
course.
 Engagement activity: Engage learners right away by providing an activity within the first
few lectures in your course. This could be an exercise or reflection activity and is a great way
to motivate your learners.

The middle
This is the main part of your course, where you’ll teach the subject and provide activities and
assessments for learners to practice and measure what they’re learning. This part of your
course should include sections, consisting of lectures, practice activities, and reference
materials. Each section, lecture, and practice activity should meet a specific learning
objective.
 Sections: Focus on covering one learning objective per section. Make sure all the sections
build on each other to deliver on all the skills your course promises to address in your
learning objectives.
 Lectures: Each section should contain as many lectures as you need to help learners achieve
the section objective. Stick to one learning objective or concept per lecture to make it easy for
learners to navigate the course. Keep your videos short, ideally 3-6 minutes — this is
especially preferred by busy enterprise learners. For technical or complicated topics you may
need to make your lectures longer.
 Practice activities and assessments: Include at least one practice activity or assessment per
section, to give learners an opportunity to apply their learning and get a sense of how well
they’re meeting the learning objectives. These activities are crucial for effective learning, and
top courses on Udemy often have a rich mix of different projects, practice activities, quizzes
and more. See our guide on planning your practice activities and assessments for more.
 Reference materials: Don’t forget to note any additional resources you want to add in each
section. This could include checklists, worksheets, templates, visual aids, PDF notes, source
code, and additional links, as necessary.

The conclusion
End your course with a strong finish that leaves learners feeling motivated to apply their
learning.
 Final lecture: At minimum include a congratulations lecture at the end that summarizes key
takeaways from the course, thanks your learners for their time, and leaves them with a sense
of accomplishment.
 Bonus lecture: While optional, you can include a bonus lecture after your final lecture. You
can use this to market other courses or products but please ensure you follow our rules and
guidelines for bonus lectures.

Key Takeaways
 Use our course outline template to map your course according to learning design best
practices. Each section, lecture, and practice activity should meet a specific learning
objective.
 Introduce yourself and your topic with a good hook and an activity to engage your learners
right away.
  One concept, one lecture: don’t try to cover too much information in one lecture. Keep it
simple to help make it easy for learners to find and navigate your course.
 Keep lectures short. Many learners prefer shorter lectures, especially busy enterprise learners.
 Don’t forget practice and resources. Learners need a chance to practice and assess their skills,
and often prefer courses that offer practice over those that don’t.
 Wrap up your course with a motivating message for your learners to go out and apply their
new skills.

End of course outline section.

Practice activities and assessments

You can’t learn to swim in a library. You have to get in the water and practice. Similarly,
your learners need opportunities to practice what you’re teaching them and assess their skills.
Engaging your learners with opportunities to practice through activities and to evaluate their
learning through assessment helps to provide a great learning experience.
 Practice activities are guided experiences where learners can apply their learning. They
should be relevant to your course material and authentic, reflecting real-world experiences
and applications of your course topic.
 Assessments are ways for learners to demonstrate that they’ve achieved the course learning
objectives. Assessments can be useful tools for them to check their progress and see what
course concepts they may need to focus on more.
While practice activities and assessments aren’t required for Udemy courses, including them
improves the quality of your course and often results in delivering higher student satisfaction
and course reviews. We recommend including a mix of practice activities and assessments in
your course.
Plan your practice activities
As a best practice, we recommend that you include at least one practice activity per section.
Include activities in your course at the points where they make the most sense in the context
of what you’re teaching. You don’t need to group activities at the end of each section. Add a
clear title to your practice activities so learners can easily identify them. Name your activities
consistently throughout the course to set expectations for learners.
General guidelines for creating practice activities
 Instructions: Provide clear instructions for your learners. You can include instructions in
both text and video. Describe the activity, its value, what learners need to do, the expected
outcome for the activity, and list the materials needed to complete the activity.
 Timing: Provide learners with an estimate of how long the activity should take to complete.
Try the activity yourself and factor in that learners will likely need 2-3 times as long.
 Examples: Provide examples. If you provide sample solutions, learners can evaluate their
own work by comparing it against the example(s).
 Materials: Make it easy for learners to complete the activity by providing them with a space
to work. This can be a template, worksheet, or demo environment.
 Feedback: Ensure learners are getting feedback. Encourage community-building and peer
feedback. Provide learners with a checklist that lists the criteria for a high-quality piece of
work. This leads to more and better targeted peer feedback.

Types of practice activities you can create

A practice activity can be something you ask learners to do on their own, or you can use the
tools we provide:
 Assignment
 Coding exercise
 Downloadable resource
Here are some best practices by activity type:
Assignment
Assignments are activities that give learners an opportunity to assess their work by
comparing their responses to questions with yours. It’s an excellent way to ask questions
about case studies, have learners respond to scenarios, or find and fix a mistake. Learn more
about creating assignments.
Coding exercise
Coding exercises are interactive activities you can add to your programming courses and are
built into Udemy so your learners can get practical coding experience. Learners enter code
directly onto the page and run the function without switching programs or screens. The
exercises also provide hints for learners when they’ve made an error so they can correct the
mistake and proceed with their coding. Learn more about coding exercises for each specific
language.
Downloadable resource
Adding downloadable resources and links to lectures is a great way to share practice activities
in the form of worksheets, templates, demo environments, and references. Learn more
about adding resources to lectures.

General guidelines for creating assessments

There are two types of assessments: formative and summative.
 Formative assessments take place during the course. Learners can use these assessments to
gauge how well they understand the course topics and revisit earlier lectures if needed. A quiz
at the end of a lecture is an example of a formative assessment.
 Summative assessments take place at the end of a course to evaluate whether learners have
achieved the learning objectives. A practice test at the end of a course is an example of a
summative assessment.

When planning your course, think about the key concepts and points in the course when it
would be helpful to have learners check their knowledge through formative assessment and
measure their achievement of the course learning objectives through summative assessment.
Types of assessments you can create
Here are some types of assessments you can build in your course:
 Quiz
 Practice test
 Capstone project

Here are some best practices by type:

Quiz
Quizzes are multiple-choice and best for courses that are fact-based. They are an excellent
way to do a quick check if the students are understanding what you are teaching or to help
them retain the knowledge. So you can add short list of questions in between your lectures to
reinforce the learning and improve retention. Learn more about creating a multiple-choice
quiz.
Practice test
Practice tests are longer and more robust than quizzes. They are timed and graded upon
completion. Practice tests are useful if your course is intended to prepare learners for a final
exam. So make it a realistic exam experience. Use similar question types, length, and
requirements as the real exam that the learners are preparing for (like the SAT, GMAT, or
certification exams).
Note: You can also create practice-test-only courses. Such courses must have a minimum of
two practice tests. Learn more about creating practice tests.
Capstone project
Capstone projects are projects that learners create at the end of a course by putting the
knowledge and skills they have gained to use to create something like a web application or a
presentation. You can guide learners through the process of creating their capstone project
throughout the course or provide prompts or guidelines at the end for learners to create it on
their own. Aim to make the capstone project an authentic experience that reflects the kind of
work a learner might do in a real-world situation. Encourage learners to share their capstone
projects in an online portfolio so others can see their work and you can provide feedback.

End of practice activities section.

The value of scripting

Even some of the most experienced speakers can get nervous in front of a camera. To ensure
a smooth and easy delivery it’s helpful to prepare talking points or a script before you record.
Writing a script also helps guarantee you’ll hit all your key points and that you’ll explain
your course content clearly and concisely.
Create your first lecture
The introductory lecture is one of the most important parts of an online course because it sets
the tone and expectations for your learners. Learners will often preview this video before
enrolling to help them decide if it’s right for them. Keep your first lecture brief but impactful,
between 2-4 minutes.

Here’s a roadmap to follow to help you write your introductory script:

 Start by welcoming learners to the course. Introduce yourself and explain why you’re the best
person to teach this course.
 Help learners learn more about who the course is designed for. Who will benefit the most
from taking your course? What level of knowledge should they already have about the topic?
 Set the expectations for your course, telling your learners what they’ll learn and be able to do
by the end of the course.

Remember that this video is your learners’ first impression to your course and of you as an
instructor, so show your passion and enthusiasm for the topic. Engage learners’ interests to
motivate them to continue on with the course. Have fun and your learners will too.
Scripting best practices
How you want to write your script is up to you, but here are some best practices to keep in
mind to make sure that your video content is clear and engaging for learners:
 Keep things simple. When you’re recording your videos you’ll find it easier to read your
script if your sentences are short and clear. It’s also easier for learners to process and
understand shorter sentences.
 Define key terms and acronyms that learners may be learning for the first time and avoid
using jargon or abbreviations that could be confusing. Remember, your learners are not
experts in your topic just yet!
 Keep accessibility in mind. Make sure your content is usable by as many people as possible.
In your script, describe visuals, use terms consistently, and avoid using too much slang.
 “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.” This
simple structure is a great way to plan the script for each lecture. Start by introducing the
concept you’ll cover, explain the concept, then provide a brief summary of the concept.
  Use diverse stories, examples, and reflection questions to engage your learners. Stories and
examples are powerful tools to help learners understand concepts and connect what they’re
learning to their own experiences. Activate learners’ prior knowledge by asking them to
reflect on their own experiences or how they might relate what they’re learning to their life.
 Keep your tone friendly, approachable and knowledgeable. Your learners may encounter
challenges as they learn about your topic for the first time. Be encouraging and let them know
it’s okay if they need a little more support at first.

Practice makes perfect

As you write your script, remember that you will eventually speak it out loud when you
record your videos. It’s helpful to read your script aloud as you write it to ensure it sounds
natural and flows well. Some instructors use speech to text technology to help them script in
a more conversational tone. No matter what method you use, make adjustments to your
content as you go. Edit anything that sounds off as you read your script out loud.
Before you start recording your videos, practice reading your script out loud as if you were
delivering it on camera. Record a video of yourself doing this so you can watch it later and
assess if you want to make any changes to your delivery. If you’re feeling really bold, share it
with friends, family or colleagues to gather feedback on how you might improve your
delivery.

End of the value of scripting section.

The value of scripting

Even some of the most experienced speakers can get nervous in front of a camera. To ensure
a smooth and easy delivery it’s helpful to prepare talking points or a script before you record.
Writing a script also helps guarantee you’ll hit all your key points and that you’ll explain
your course content clearly and concisely.
Create your first lecture
The introductory lecture is one of the most important parts of an online course because it sets
the tone and expectations for your learners. Learners will often preview this video before
enrolling to help them decide if it’s right for them. Keep your first lecture brief but impactful,
between 2-4 minutes.

Here’s a roadmap to follow to help you write your introductory script:

 Start by welcoming learners to the course. Introduce yourself and explain why you’re the best
person to teach this course.
 Help learners learn more about who the course is designed for. Who will benefit the most
from taking your course? What level of knowledge should they already have about the topic?
 Set the expectations for your course, telling your learners what they’ll learn and be able to do
by the end of the course.

Remember that this video is your learners’ first impression to your course and of you as an
instructor, so show your passion and enthusiasm for the topic. Engage learners’ interests to
motivate them to continue on with the course. Have fun and your learners will too.
Scripting best practices
How you want to write your script is up to you, but here are some best practices to keep in
mind to make sure that your video content is clear and engaging for learners:
 Keep things simple. When you’re recording your videos you’ll find it easier to read your
script if your sentences are short and clear. It’s also easier for learners to process and
understand shorter sentences.
  Define key terms and acronyms that learners may be learning for the first time and avoid
using jargon or abbreviations that could be confusing. Remember, your learners are not
experts in your topic just yet!
 Keep accessibility in mind. Make sure your content is usable by as many people as possible.
In your script, describe visuals, use terms consistently, and avoid using too much slang.
 “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.” This
simple structure is a great way to plan the script for each lecture. Start by introducing the
concept you’ll cover, explain the concept, then provide a brief summary of the concept.
 Use diverse stories, examples, and reflection questions to engage your learners. Stories and
examples are powerful tools to help learners understand concepts and connect what they’re
learning to their own experiences. Activate learners’ prior knowledge by asking them to
reflect on their own experiences or how they might relate what they’re learning to their life.
 Keep your tone friendly, approachable and knowledgeable. Your learners may encounter
challenges as they learn about your topic for the first time. Be encouraging and let them know
it’s okay if they need a little more support at first.

Practice makes perfect

As you write your script, remember that you will eventually speak it out loud when you
record your videos. It’s helpful to read your script aloud as you write it to ensure it sounds
natural and flows well. Some instructors use speech to text technology to help them script in
a more conversational tone. No matter what method you use, make adjustments to your
content as you go. Edit anything that sounds off as you read your script out loud.
Before you start recording your videos, practice reading your script out loud as if you were
delivering it on camera. Record a video of yourself doing this so you can watch it later and
assess if you want to make any changes to your delivery. If you’re feeling really bold, share it
with friends, family or colleagues to gather feedback on how you might improve your
delivery.

End of value of scripting section.

Create accessible and inclusive learning content

Accessibility
Accessibility provides a person with a disability access to — and benefits of — the same
information, interactions, and services as a person without a disability in a way that’s
sensible, meaningful, and usable. In short, it’s the inclusive practice of ensuring there are no
barriers to learning for as many people as possible.

Some may think that accessibility is primarily aimed at helping people with physical
disabilities, such as those with hearing or vision loss. Focusing on accessibility also helps
people with temporary disabilities which might include hearing or vision loss due to illness
(ear infection), injury (scratched eye), or surgery (cataract treatment). Disabilities can also be
situational — such as not being able to hear well while taking a course in a noisy coffee shop
or on a commuter train.
While these are important aspects, accessibility improves the learning experience for
everyone. And while accessibility is often overlooked because it seems costly or arduous.
Planning ahead for accessibility can be more efficient than reworking your content later.

Making content accessible to all isn’t just the equitable thing to do, it also helps to broaden
your reach so that more learners can benefit from your courses. Plus, accessible content is a
legal requirement for contracts that receive federal funding, so your course can suit the needs
of higher education or government agencies.

Inclusivity
We define inclusion as being accepted, valued, respected, and supported. It is the process of
creating psychological safety and fostering a culture that appreciates and effectively uses
each person’s unique talents, skills, opinions, and perspectives.

We are proud to have learners from all over the world representing a broad array of identities,
cultures, and backgrounds, and it’s important to us that the content we provide is respectful
and affirming of all of them. As such, we are intentional and proactive about representing all
our users, especially demographics that we know tend to be underrepresented.

End of accessible and inclusive learning content section.

Create your course landing page

The course landing page (CLP) is crucial to your success on our marketplace. This is
your opportunity to entice learners to enroll in your course. If it’s done right, it can also
help you gain visibility in search engines. As you complete this section, think about why
someone would want to enroll in your course.
This is one of the first things your potential learners will see when they’re browsing
courses. It’s similar to when shopping for a product online. You want to read the product
details, look at pictures, and read reviews before you decide whether or not to
purchase. Learners will do the same thing and decide whether to enroll in your course after
they review the information on the course landing page.

Factors that drive student decision-making

Students decide whether to enroll in a course based on 3 factors:
1. Content on the CLP
2. Course price and discount
3. Social proof (number of enrollments and reviews)

We’ll focus on the first point and help you write for the intended learners of your course.
Your goal is to ensure your learners feel that your course will provide value, address their
needs, and deliver a satisfying online learning experience.
Best practices
 Be honest — misrepresenting your course will likely lead to refunds and negative reviews
 Think about how your students would search for your course on the web and use those search
keywords in your copy
 Address your learners directly by referring to them as ‘you’, not ‘learners’ or ‘students’
 Be conversational and approachable. Write in a natural, informative, and action-oriented style
 Avoid jargon or copy that could be confusing and deter new learners
 Check for spelling or grammatical errors

Ensure your course is unique

The best practice is to apply originality and creativity. Create content that’s fresh for every
course you publish. While there are reasons to leverage quotes or statistics to support key
points, repeating content can hurt your search visibility. For example, if you have ten similar
course landing pages, search engines will only choose one and deprioritize the rest. This
deprioritization may also occur if you duplicate copy from your own website or marketing
efforts onto your course landing page.
Differentiate your copy and avoid copying and pasting copy across different
pages. Repetition across multiple course landing pages can also be confusing to prospective
learners who find it difficult to understand how your courses are different from each other.
Creating your course landing page
Most of the components of the course landing page are inputs during the course creation
process during the publishing phase.
 Course title
Your course title is one of the strongest factors for learners to find and enroll in your
course. Think of keywords to improve the searchability of your course. Be concise,
specific, and keep it within 60 characters or less.

 Course subtitle
A clear course subtitle provides a brief overview of what course is about and sets the
right expectations for what your students will learn. Keep it to 120 characters and
mention 3-4 of the most important areas that you’ve covered during your course.
Include relevant keywords in your subtitle. Visit our course title and subtitle quality
standards to ensure you meet our requirements
 Description
At a minimum, your course description must be at least 200 words long, however, we
recommend that describe your course with at least 1,000 words, between 1,200-1,700
words is even better. Your description should be unique and showcase what
differentiates your course from others in the marketplace. Don’t reuse language from
other courses nor repeat information from other parts of your course landing page.
As you write your description, think about your intended learners and the questions
they might have before they enroll:

o How will this course help them in their lives, personally or professionally?

o Does your course address a problem, need, or desire?Learn more about our course
description quality standards.
 Basic info
These fields are important as they categorize your course within our marketplace to
help learners better discover your course.
o Select the language the course is taught in and your course’s level of expertise.
o To choose your category and subcategory, choose the narrowest, best-fitting
subcategory available. For example, “The Complete SEO Course” should go under
“Search Engine Optimization”, not “Digital Marketing”. Review all options as
subcategories vary under each category. The subcategory you select helps Udemy
surface your course to interested students via browse, search, recommendations,
emails, promotions, etc. To help keep categorization consistent, research how similar
courses have been categorized so that your course is easier for students to find when
they are looking at similar courses.
o In the “what is primarily taught in your course?” field tag your course with the most
comprehensive and specific topic available that summarizes what your course is
about. Typically, the primary topic is mentioned in the course title. For example, “The
Complete Tennis Course” should have “Tennis” selected as a topic – not “Sports”,
which is comprehensive but not specific enough, and not “Tennis Serve”, which is too
specific and not comprehensive. Learn more about adding topics to your course.
o It’s important that your course is categorized and its topic is tagged correctly in order
to help learners better discover it. Udemy reserves the right to change categorization
at any time. This can affect an individual course that is found to be misclassified, or
impact a larger set of courses based on changes or updates to topics or categories
themselves (for example, creating a new topic or category).

 Course image

The course image should be something that stands out, that’s relevant and represents
your course and/or brand. Your course image will be used across the site, in ads, and
emails, so ensure it’s appealing and sets your course apart from the others.

Please review our quality guidelines for course images to ensure your course image
complies with our policy, as it may differ from other streaming services and online
learning platforms. Be aware that the use of images or logos from a third party
without permission might violate copyrights and you are responsible for any
infringements.
 Create a promotional video
Create a short (under 2 minutes is ideal) course promotional video that learners can
watch before they decide whether or not to enroll in your course.
You can also use your promotional video as a marketing tool and post it on other sites
(like YouTube or LinkedIn) to drive traffic to your course on Udemy. Make sure to
set your course preview video to be previewed by default. Check out our guide for
creating a promo video.
 Instructor profile
The instructor bio is important when learners are comparing your course with another.
They want to learn more about you and determine whether you’re a credible instructor
to teach the subject. Your instructor bio should reflect your:
o Credibility Learners want to know they can trust you. Highlight what makes you an
expert in the materials you teach.
o Empathy Ability to connect with learners by sharing examples demonstrating how
you learned the concepts you’re teaching to show them they’ll be able to relate to
your course content.
 o Passion Learners don’t want to learn from a boring instructor. Show your excitement
about the subject.
o Personality Don’t hesitate to share things about your personal life. Add some fun
facts about yourself or share your interests. Tell them about your goals, mission, or
why you decided to become a Udemy instructor.


o
 Include links to your social media accounts so that students can learn more
about you and to help grow your audience.
 An instructor image is required.
 Learn more about the requirements and quality standards for your instructor
bio.

More sections of your course landing page to update

There are a few other areas on your course landing page that you’ve already covered earlier
in the course planning process. Revisit these sections in the course creator under the intended
learner section to ensure they’re accurate and reflect your completed course.
 What you’ll learn The copy you input after the question “What will students learn in your
course?” is one of the first things prospective learners will see on your Course Learning Plan
(CLP) in the box labeled “What you’ll learn”. Revisit the learning objectives you’ve written
for your course to ensure these still represent your course. Update them if necessary to
accurately reflect your completed course and ensure they’re measurable and will help learners
determine whether or not your course is right for them.
 Requirements These are listed under the course requirements or prerequisites and should
include anything learners need to know or have access to in order to be successful in your
course.
 Who this course is for Reference the work you did earlier in defining your audience. Based
on your answers to those questions, are there particular types of people, roles, or personas that
describe who your ideal learners are.

Choose 10 minutes worth of preview videos

Give prospective learners a sneak peek of what to expect from you and your course. You
must choose at least 10 minutes worth of lectures that can be watched for free by learners.
Pick your favorite lectures or the ones that you think best represent your course and will
spark someone’s interest and drive them to enroll in your course.
To do this, in the course creator, visit the Curriculum section and turn on “free preview” for
any of your video lectures.
End of landing page section.

How course maintenance can boost your performance

Publishing a course is a big undertaking! When the hard work of production is over, it’s
tempting to think you’re done with that content forever. But one of the best things about
creating an online course rather than more traditional publishing is that you can keep making
it better over time – and those efforts can help set you apart from your competition.

Why are course updates important?

Learners come to Udemy to keep their skills sharp. So, they’re looking for fresh, relevant,
engaging content. When choosing between similar courses, learners may use a course’s last
update date to gauge how likely it is to help them meet their goals today. Conversely, content
that is out of date may provoke negative reviews, which may deter other learners from
choosing it.

Many of the highest-performing courses on Udemy are updated several times a year.

When should you update your course?

Every subject is different, and different courses will require a different game plan for
maintenance. Here are a few things that might signal it’s time to make some changes:

 The topic you teach has a material change: Learners expect to find the most up-to-date
information and skills on Udemy. As new software versions, skill applications, or industry
trends emerge, consider updating your course to address these new dimensions of your topic.
Technical topics in particular require more frequent updates and clear labeling, as learners
need to know which version of a software or programming language you’re teaching, and
whether or not to expect the course to evolve with the tech.
 You notice a downward trend in your ratings: Over time, learner preferences can change,
or you might reach a new audience with different expectations as your reach on Udemy
grows. For example, having your content included in Udemy Business might expose it to a
professional audience with a desire for more practical examples, or more concise
explanations. Watch your ratings to determine if you need to make changes to address learner
feedback.
 You see opportunities to improve learner engagement: Your Performance dashboard lets
you see which parts of your course are getting the most and least engagement. If you notice
that a particular lecture or section isn’t resonating, it might be time to redo it.

What kinds of updates can you make?

There’s no single formula for a great course update, but here are a few ways you could update
your course:
 Fixing issues: Maybe a review has pointed out some out-of-date information in a particular
lecture, or Q&A is suggesting that you need to explain a particular concept more clearly.
 Maybe on rewatching your own course, you realize you made an error in your demonstration.
Quick fixes can show learners you’re paying attention to their experience.
 Including more practice: Learners – especially professional learners – love an opportunity
to apply what they’re learning. Creating additional practice activities or case studies helps
keep learners engaged and can help them see the practical value of your content.
 Adding content: You may realize from Q&A or from industry insight that you have an
opportunity to address additional topics in your course and better serve your learners. For
example, you might add a section explaining the impact of recent macroeconomic trends or
implications of generative AI with respect to your topic.

When you’ve made material course updates, be sure to update your landing page to reflect
your work. You can also use this opportunity to ensure you’ve got the right keywords and
messaging to set yourself apart.

Additionally, when you update your course, it’s a good idea to make an Educational
Announcement to let your learners know what’s new. This can re-engage learners who are
subscribed to your course communications. Learners who aren’t notified about new
announcements (such as Udemy Business learners) can still access the announcement within
the course-taking experience and benefit from the additional context.

What happens to the learner experience when you update

your course?

Course updates go right to your learners, so when you hit “publish” on that new lecture or
practice activity, they’ll see the change right away. While learners are generally excited to get
new or refreshed content, here are a few things to keep in mind when updating your course:

 Learner progress: Udemy lets learners track what percentage of a course they’ve completed
(you can see most learners’ completion percentage for a given course in your Student List).

When you make an update to a course, each learner’s completion percentage will be
recalculated as the number of current lectures they’ve completed out of the total lectures now
in the course. So, if you delete a section a learner has already completed and replace it with a
new one, or if you add net new content to a course, learners will see their completion
percentage drop. Learners who have already completed 100% of a course will retain access to
their certificate of completion at its original URL, but won’t be able to generate a new one or
access it via the Udemy interface until they complete the additional lectures or exercises.

If you don’t delete existing lectures, but instead replace the content inside them (video or text
lectures), learner progress is maintained. Similarly, if you edit a quiz rather than replacing it,
learner progress isn’t affected. So, when you’re making nonstructural updates that replace
 existing lectures cleanly with new, equivalent ones, it can create a smoother learner
experience if you edit your existing sections and lectures rather than deleting and recreating
them.
 Udemy Business admin reporting: Course progress for learners in Udemy Business is
visible to their account administrators (e.g. managers, Learning & Development leads, etc.).
Completion percentage in this view is calculated the same way as for learners, as described
above.
 Learning paths: Udemy Business customers can add content (courses, sections, or individual
lectures) to “learning paths,” which are curated learning sequences for their employees. If you
delete content included in a learning path, it will be removed from that path. As with learner
progress, editing content instead of replacing it will preserve it within a path.

When should you retire a course and produce a new one,

rather than updating?

Sometimes, you may find that your intended course updates are so extensive that the resulting
content could be its own course. For example, the software you teach may have an extensive
update that would require refilming nearly every lecture.

Deciding whether to publish a whole new version of a course or update the existing one is
fundamentally a business strategy decision. Here are some things you’ll want to consider
when making that choice:

1.
1. Will there still be demand for the current version of your course? New
technologies can coexist with older ones. If many of your learners may still be using
the current version of your technology for a long time (e.g. Microsoft Office), you
probably want to keep the current version of your course available to serve that need.
Here, publishing a distinct version for the new technology probably makes more
sense.
2. Is there an upsell opportunity to current learners? Udemy learners generally
expect that content will be kept up-to-date, but they understand that lifetime access
doesn’t mean access to every major evolution of what you’re teaching. If you think
that learners in the current version of your course are likely to view the updates as a
new topic and see the value in learning it, you might consider publishing a new
course that lets you re-monetize your current audience.
3. What is the risk of giving up your current course’s traction? It can be tough to
start from scratch on ratings, reviews, and discoverability. If your course already has
significant traction (e.g. it’s high up in search results for your topic, or it’s included in
the Udemy Business collection), you’ll want to consider how long it might take you
to re-build that momentum with a new course.

End of maintenance section.

Create the perfect preview for your must-see course

A second-by-second guide to making video previews that get

attention
A course preview is like a movie trailer for your course. It’s a video of two minutes or less on
your course landing page that helps learners understand what you’ll teach and, most
importantly, how you’ll teach it.

To find out what makes an attention-getting preview, we ran tests and looked at hundreds of
course previews. Then we came up with a second-by-second guide for how to make your
video effective. Watch the video, and then see how we break it down.

First 3 seconds
Course Image Placeholder

Start with a slide showing your course image or branding.

This allows learners time to maximize the video player and adjust the volume.

Next 20 seconds
Welcome and instructor intro

Give a 1-sentence intro to the course that tells potential learners why you're a credible
instructor.

Tip: Try inserting clips where you speak directly to the camera. In a pinch, you can always
use the camera on your phone.

Next 20 seconds
Benefits

Describe the benefits of the course and what students will be able to do after completing it.

Give students examples of specific skills they will gain, instead of abstract concepts they will
learn.

Next 20 seconds
List of major learning objectives

Explain how the course is designed and list (don't describe) the major topics you'll cover.

Be careful not to get too bogged down in the details of what you'll cover. Don't teach
anything yet, just list what you will teach.
Next 15 seconds
Ideal learner description
Persona Generator: Think about the three aspects below to help define the ideal student
persona for course.
Roles: What are some roles this persona plays in their professional and personal life?
Hopes & fears: What are some goals this persona wants to achieve? What worries this
persona?
Challenges: What challenges does this persona face when trying to achieve their goals?
Result: "I designed this course for engineers who want to understand project management
essentials, without going the full route to certification."
Last 10 seconds
Thank You & Call to Action

Call the student to enroll in the course or sample your free previews, if they want to explore
further.

End of promo video section.

Pricing your course

When you are ready to publish your course, it’s important to consider your pricing strategy.
This essential step involves deciding whether to offer your course for free, set a price
yourself, or use Udemy’s optimization strategies for pricing. If you offer a free course, it
can’t exceed 2 hours of video content and it will lose access to premium learner features such
as Q&A and certificates of completion.

This article will guide you through our current course pricing options and the advantages of
participating in the Udemy Deals Program.
Establish your pricing strategy
To set a price for your course, follow these steps:
1. First, make sure you are registered as a premium instructor. This allows you to set up
payout options for your course.
2. Choose whether to participate in the Udemy Deals Program. This program uses our
pricing data to set your course list price and issue promotional discounts to new and existing
Udemy learners. If you choose not to participate in the Udemy Deals Program, you retain
control over your pricing but miss out on the increased visibility that comes with our
promotional activities.
3. Choose a price tier for each course. If you’re opted in to the Udemy Deals Program, we will
set your course’s price and offer your course at a discount during occasional promotions.
You’ll set a backup price, which may be shown in regions where we don’t use the Deals
Program and in case of a temporary problem affecting the program. If you opt-out of the
Deals Program, you’re setting your own price, so consider factors such as course duration,
content depth, and your expertise to select an appropriate price tier.

Become a premium instructor

If you’d like to set a price for your course, you must apply to become a premium instructor.
There is no fee to become a premium instructor. Instead, Udemy keeps a percentage of each
sale depending on the transaction source. Learn more about our instructor revenue share.
The premium instructor application process includes setting up your instructor profile, if you
haven’t already done so, accepting the Udemy Terms of Service, and selecting your payout
method. After publication, you will need to submit a valid tax form to receive payouts.
Benefits of the Udemy Deals Program
The Udemy Deals Program allows Udemy to use marketing data to optimize your course’s
list price and offer your courses at a discount in different markets around the world, which
can be a powerful lever to drive revenue. Millions of learners enroll in courses through these
promotions annually. There is no fee to participate in the program, and participation is
optional.
Here are some other key things to know about the program:
 Marketing support: Your course may be included in various marketing campaigns, including
emails, paid ads, and affiliate marketing, thereby increasing its visibility and potential sales.
 Price optimization: Udemy uses advanced data science and market modeling to determine the
best list price for your course, considering factors like category, length, and sales
performance.
 Global reach at competitive prices: The Deals Program ensures your course is offered at
competitive prices that take local context into account. Learn more about local pricing.

Learn more about Udemy Deals.

Opt Into the Deals Program
All instructors are automatically opted into the Deals Program when they become premium
instructors. You can opt out at any time, but it may take up to 10 days for your courses to be
removed from active promotions.
Note: If you opt in to the Deals Program at an instructor level, all of your courses,
except free courses are included.
You can opt into or out of the program on your Promotional Agreements page.
Free Courses
Launching your course for free can be a strategic move. Free courses can help you build a
following, test demand for a topic, accumulate course reviews, or provide you valuable
feedback. Then when you are ready to set a price for your course, you can update a free
course to a paid course as long as you are registered as a premium instructor.
However, free courses have some limitations to keep in mind.
 Free courses cannot exceed 2 hours in video content
 Free courses do not offer premium learner features such as a certificate of completion or
Q&A.
 While the price of your course can be modified anytime, you can only convert a course from
free to paid once.

Learn more about free courses.

Key Takeaways
 Course Pricing Options: You have the flexibility to offer courses as either free or paid. If
you opt in to the Deals Program, pricing on paid courses is determined and optimized by us.
 Premium instructor status: To set a price for a course and earn revenue, you must apply and
be approved as a premium instructor, which allows participation in promotional programs and
revenue sharing, without any upfront costs.
 Udemy Deals Program: Participation in the Udemy Deals Program will apply to all your
courses. It allows us to optimize and discount your course prices to enhance market reach and
sales, taking advantage of our marketing campaigns and price optimization strategies for
global audiences.
  Price tier considerations: When determining the price tier for a course, you should consider
factors such as course duration, content depth, expertise, and market competition, aiming to
provide additional value through resources, assignments, and feedback to justify higher
pricing.

End of course pricing section.

Set up automatic messages to learners

You’ll be prompted to create automatic messages prior to submitting your course for review.
While these are optional messages, they are a great way to engage with your learners by
welcoming them to your course and congratulate them upon completion. Here are some tips
to help you create effective messages for your learners.
Before you begin
Remember these important points for both your welcome and congratulation messages:
 Be sure to include your course name in the messages to add some context for the learners
 It’s against Udemy guidelines to promote your other courses or external resources
 When creating your automatic messages, be sure not to make them too personalized. Unlike
promotional and educational announcements, learner names are not be included in the
message

Welcome message
This is sent to your learners as soon as they enroll in your course. Use this message to:
 Greet the learner and express gratitude for their enrollment
 Share an interesting piece of information about yourself to make the message more personal
 Get learners excited by letting them know what they’ll accomplish with the course
 Encourage participation and let learners know that they can ask questions on the discussion
board

Congratulations message
This is sent once your learners complete your course. Try and include the following:
 Let the learners know how proud you are of their accomplishment
 Explain the next steps and highlight the applications of course concepts
 Encourage learners to dive deeper into the subject

End of set up automatic messaging section.

Marketing:

Engage with your learners

Being an instructor is about more than just publishing a course. It’s important that you build a
connection with your learners through an online setting. Successful instructors are more than
just content creators, they spend time interacting with their learners. We encourage you to
build a base of loyal learners. Reach out to them for feedback, respond to their questions or
reviews, and interact with them to help you improve your course.
Ways to connect with your learners
There are several ways to communicate directly with your learners. You can create
announcements and promotional emails, send direct messages, and interact with learners in
the Q&A forum in your course.
Many instructors find it easier to manage their communications via our mobile app. Once you
download the app, open it and tap your avatar to get to the instructor experience.
Educational announcements
Educational announcements are meant to activate and re-engage your learners to bring them
back to your course. Use them to send updates about your course or share free resources
related to your course topic to supplement the course material. Announcements are sent by
email and also show up in your learners’ Udemy account message center.
You can send up to 4 announcements per month and should only feature free resources
related to your course material (Udemy links are not allowed). Do not direct learners to
promotional material as that is a violation of our policy. Learn more about our rules for
educational announcements.

Here are some tips for writing educational announcements:

 Include a contest or call-to-action and challenge learners to finish certain lectures or sections
of the course
 Inspire your learners with news from the field and keep them engaged with the subject matter
 Let learners know when you’ve updated or added content to your course, your investment in
the course will grab their attention

Promotions
Use promotional announcements to market your new courses to your existing learners or to
share coupon codes for your existing course that people can forward onto their friends and
family.
You can send promotional emails up to twice a month for each of your courses.
Promotional emails should include links to your Udemy courses (external links are not
allowed). Learn more about rules for promotional announcements.

Here are some tips for writing promotional announcements:

 For promotional purposes, you may want to send a series of emails to build up the interest.
For example, to announce the launch of a new course, send a 2-email sequence over the
course of a week to your existing Udemy learner list
 You can even include a discount if you’re feeling generous. But don’t forget to set a
promotional deadline and mention it clearly.
 Run a seasonal sale or temporary deal in conjunction with a holiday
 Quote real learner feedback (after asking for permission) about the courses you want to
promote

Direct messages
This lets you privately communicate with your learners or other instructors. When you send a
direct message, learners receive an in-product message. Depending on their settings, they
may also receive an email. Learn more about sending direct messages and about Udemy
direct message rules and guidelines.
Q&A
This is an in-product forum where your learners registered for your course can ask questions,
read your responses, and respond to one another. You can also pin or highlight frequently
asked questions. Learn more about how to feature questions.
Best practices for subject lines
A clear and compelling subject line can draw the attention of your students and prompt them
to open and read your messages. Follow these rules to write impactful subject lines for your
announcement and promotional emails:

 Keep it short and concise

 Don’t write your subject lines in all capital letters
 Avoid subject lines with exclamation marks or phrases
 Give your learners a compelling reason to open the email but avoid overused words that may
trigger spam filters like free, sale, % off. Instead, use the occasion or time of year (birthday, a
personal achievement, or a holiday)
 Consider framing subject lines as questions to build curiosity
 Avoid using the same subject lines multiple times. This might make your learners lose interest
in your emails
 Test different subject lines

End of engage with your learners section.

Establish your credibility with reviews

Learners worldwide trust Udemy to show them helpful reviews and ratings. Reviews and
ratings help prospective learners decide which courses and instructors are a good fit for them.
As an instructor, it’s important to gather feedback from your learners as the reviews and
ratings of your course act as “social proof” to establish the credibility of your course.
Why it’s critical
Reviews are essential to new courses and instructors. As a goal, aim for getting 4-10
reviews when you launch your course. It sets a good foundation for your new course.
Feedback from your learners is critical. Negative reviews will help you understand how to
improve your course. Improving your course will hopefully lead to positive reviews. Positive
reviews help your course gain credibility and increase the likelihood of learners enrolling.
Request feedback and reviews directly, early, and often so that you can learn from your
learners directly.
Tips for requesting reviews and ratings
Here are some tips on how you can gather more feedback and review for your course:

 Reach out. Request for feedback and reviews in your course introduction video,
the automatic welcome message, via direct messages, through announcement emails, and in
between lectures.
 Time the request. If you are planning to seek feedback during the course, make sure you do
it within the first 15 minutes of your course. Your learners will be prompted for their feedback
at this time and so it’s important that you make a great first impression. Include an
engagement activity to inspire and motivate your learners, then ask for a review.
 Reinstate their importance. Remind them that their opinions matter and will help you
improve the course material and the overall learning experience for the future learners.
  Ask the expert. Request a colleague in your field to watch your course and provide feedback
or leave an honest review. Tell them to mention their own professional expertise along with
the review so learners can see that your course is up to their level.
 Be honest and ensure you follow Udemy review policies. Learn more about guidelines
against manipulating the review system.

Respond to reviews and ratings

Use each review you received as an opportunity to engage with your learners and get more
information. Respond to your reviews and ratings, both negative and positive.
Here are some tips on how to best respond:
 If you’re responding to a rating or review, always address learners by their name and thank
them for enrolling in your course
 Ratings above 4 stars. Recognize their effort as a learner
 Ratings below 4 stars. Acknowledge any negative feedback and offer a positive solution
such as a course update or additional materials. For example: “Thank you (Name) for the
review. Can anything be added or changed to make the course better for you? Thanks again
for the feedback.”
 Star ratings without text. Ask the learner for more specific information. Be friendly and
remember that other learners can see your responses. For example: “Thank you (Name). You
marked X and Y as not up to your expectations. I’d love to learn more about what I can do to
improve these parts of the course for you?”

You can manage your student feedbacks and reviews using the Reviews Dashboard.
Use review and feedback to your benefit
 Put positive reviews to work. Use them when marketing your course. Mention them in your
emails, social media, and in course descriptions in your course landing page.
 Use feedback and negative reviews to improve. If learners repeatedly point out that
something doesn’t work for them, consider adding content to the course or adjusting your
course description to make it more clear. Respond to the review right away to let them know
that you’re fixing things, and again when you’ve made changes. Learners love to know
they’re being heard. Make sure to inform all of your learners about any updates in the course
with an announcement.

End of credibility with reviews section.

Make the most of coupons and referrals

Whether you already have a large audience or you’re just starting out, promoting your course
can increase sales and attract new learners. Learn how to use tools like coupons and referral
links to improve your revenue and reach.
The importance of promoting
First, no one knows your course better than you do. You know exactly who it’s for, what your
students will learn, and how it will benefit them. This puts you in a great position to spread
the word about your course, especially when it’s recently published.
Second, the learners you bring in are generally more engaged. On average, learners who
purchase a course through an instructor referral link watch about 30% more course content in
their first week than those brought in by Udemy promotions. The learner/instructor
connection really does matter.
Finally, when you use Udemy’s promotional tools to bring in a new learner, you’ll receive a
higher revenue share, earning you 97%.
Types of promotions
There are a few different tools you can use to promote your courses (see here for technical
details and instructions). The right combination of them will depend on your marketing
strategy and how much time you want to devote to course promotions.
 A referral link lets you refer unlimited learners to a course without influencing its selling
price. If you participate in the Udemy Deals Program, learners who click your referral link
may or may not see a discount, such as a special offer for new users.Referral links are a great
way to create a permanent way to drive traffic to your course (“set it and forget it”), like on
your website or professional profile.
 A discount coupon lets you create a temporary promotional price for your course. You can
choose between a steep discount that lasts for a few days, or a more moderate discount that
lasts for 30 days.A steep, temporary discount is great for running an urgency-driven
promotion, like a sale you announce via email or social media. A moderate discount is well-
suited for marketing on YouTube videos or a blog post. For coupons with expiration dates, be
sure to communicate the expiration date to your prospective learners to motivate them to
enroll while the offer is still available.
 A free coupon lets you give some lucky learners free access to your course. You can choose
to offer a free coupon to unlimited people during a short giveaway period or to offer it only to
a select group but give them longer to redeem it.Free coupons can be a good way to reward
learners (i.e. as part of an “early access” program), give gifts to friends and family, or build
some initial traction if you’re just starting out in a competitive topic.

How to include promotions in your marketing

Great marketing is about finding the people who have a problem your course can address,
helping them understand how your course will solve their problem, and making it easy for
them to enroll. This is where links and coupons come in.
Whether you’re launching a new course or promoting an existing one to a new audience,
make sure you:
 Clearly explain who will benefit from your course and what that benefit looks like
 Link to the course early in the message (whether that’s a referral link or a coupon link)
 Set expectations about any deal you’re offering, including the price, who’s eligible, and the
expiration date

End of make the most of coupons and referrals section.

How you can market your course

In addition to promoting your course with our marketing and communication tools, be sure
you market your course using external tools. This could be leveraging your email list or
website, or using social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Use your existing social and professional networks and try to grow your influence by
connecting with new people, online and offline.
Here are more ideas on how to market your course beyond the Udemy platform:
Online opportunities
Tips to maximize your blog, website, email lists, and social media platforms:

Follow some of these tips to make the most of your blog, website, email lists, and various
social media platforms:

 Announce your course launch and offer promotional discounts and coupon codes on all
platforms, clearly and visibly. Consider adding an image or visual element to advertise your
course.
  Share your promo video or a quick preview of your course. In the video, talk about the
benefits of your course and what it has to offer.
 Add a small write-up or provide a link to another blog about the topic of your course and
include your Udemy referral link to help build people’s interest and motivate them to take
your course.
 Note that a well-designed website can help boost your course sales. If you don’t have a
website, you can use any of a number of free web hosting services to create just a single sales
page. It’s easy to create and will help you capture leads and enroll learners in your course.
 On your website, include a “buy now” option. Also, since email is a high converting channel,
include an email opt-in to collect emails so that people can join your mailing list and get
future announcements and promotions.

Create awareness for your course on online communities

 Create and share short form content and your course’s promo video on YouTube, Instagram,
LinkedIn
 Engage with online communities interested in your course’s topic. Participate in forums and
blogs like Quora, Reddit, or Medium. Encourage people to connect with you if they want to
learn more.
 Don’t spam your link. This may actually hurt your course’s searchability.

eBooks
If you plan on publishing an ebook related to your course content, here are some ways how
you can use your ebook to drive more traffic to your Udemy course:
 Promote your course within the first few pages of the ebook, such as in the “Foreword.” If
your book is available on Amazon, make sure that those first few pages are visible to preview.
 Invite your readers to join your book community and present course discounts and coupon
codes as bonus material that didn’t make it into the book.
 Use strategic keywords to increase the ranking of your ebook in the relevant category on
Amazon or on another ebook seller.

Offline opportunities
Live speaking events, both online and offline, are a great opportunity for you to shine as a
domain expert and connect more personally with your audience. Live events — meetups,
conferences, and workshops — are also great opportunities to discover what’s trending,
relevant and in-demand with your audience.
Follow some of these tips to use such opportunities to enroll more learners in your courses:
 Distribute postcards and flyers containing information about your course and your instructor
coupon code
 During the event, give a glimpse at what your course entails to get the audience interested in
enrolling in your course on the spot for a discount
 Don’t forget to include your real world experience as a selling point when you’re doing a
speaking event in your bio. This will increase your credibility as an instructor.

End of how to market your course section.

Improve your course’s search results

Make your course more discoverable using SEO Keywords
It’s important to ensure that the right people are able to find your course and
ultimately, enroll in it.
Optimizing your course landing page (CLP) for search is key to long-term success and it’s
not as challenging as it sounds.
It will help you:
 Get your course in front of the right students
 Improve your course’s search ranking on Google and the Udemy marketplace
 Increase the number of people who will click through to see your course landing page

With more people seeing your course, this may lead to an increase in the number of learners
who enroll in your course.
Here are four steps to help you determine the best keywords to include in your course landing
page. Write down your keywords in a document or spreadsheet so that you can continue to
reference them.
Keyword exercise (15–30 minutes)
1. Identify your audience Think about what your course is about and who will gain the most
from taking your course. Brainstorm the search terms that these people would use in order to
find your course.
2. Choose your main keyword Pick a keyword that you think is the most relevant to your
intended learner. This is usually your high-level topic (i.e. Python course, Python for
Machine Learning, Wedding Photography, etc.)
3. Generate related keyword ideas Search for your main keywords on Google using an SEO
tool like the Keyword Surfer Chrome plugin to get a large list of related keywords you can
incorporate into your CLP. The plugin does a great job of giving you both keyword ideas and
their search volume, which will help you understand what users are interested in learning.
4. Bonus keywords Use our Marketplace Insights tool to search your topic and identify any
Udemy-specific keywords and modifiers (complete, beginner’s, ultimate). Jot down some of
the keywords used most in Udemy search.

As you perform this exercise, pay attention to the following:

 What web pages are showing up first?
Tip: try to find keywords where the top search results are similar to your own course.
 How are the titles/headlines formatted?
 What keywords or modifiers are used?
 What makes you want to click through?
 How does your course compare to similar courses?

Once you’ve gathered a solid list of keywords and notes about the competitive landscape, it’s
time to move on to the next exercise, the CLP Checklist 1.

CLP Checklist 1: Your course title, subtitle, and SEO best

practices
The most important parts of your course landing page to optimize are your course title and
subtitle. This is an opportunity to grab the attention of potential learners by accurately
representing what your course is about.

Here are some pointers, along with overall tips for your CLP:

Title (60 character limit)

Your title should be a mix of attention-grabbing, informative, and optimized for search. From
the title students want to know:
  The course topic
 Who the audience is (beginner, for managers)
 What they will get from it (an action or outcome)

Here are some things to consider:

1. Is your main keyword included early (in the first three words), but not overused?
2. Does it use words/phrasing that potential students are likely to search for? refer to the list of
keywords you’ve created
3. Is it action oriented? Does it communicate achievement?
4. Does it make you want to click on it? answers the search intent, is aspirational and
compelling
5. Does it create an emotion that you want students to feel? Use words and modifiers that
communicate accomplishment and value

Subtitle (120 character limit)

The purpose is to expand upon the title. It should provide:

 Additional information on course content specifics

 Value of learning the topic
 Benefits to the learner – what this course will help you DO
 Provide more information about the course’s learning objectives

Here are some things to consider:

1. The course topic

2. Who the audience is (beginner, for managers)
3. What they will get from it (an action or outcome)
4. Is the course’s main topic included?
5. Does it communicate what this course will help students do? conveys value,
incorporates action words
6. Does it include top related keywords?
7. Does it complement the title?
8. Is it compelling enough to click on?
9. Character recommendation is as close to the maximum 120 characters as possible.

To edit your course’s subtitle, go to the course builder > Publish your course > Course
landing page > Course subtitle.

SEO Best Practices

1. Use simple, clear, and specific language

2. Check for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization
3. Ensure your potential student is the focus of all your CLP copy
4. The copy is personal: use “you/your” for students and “I/me” for you, the instructor

Bonus: Drive enrollments

1. Promotion video: Create a quick and compelling promo video (2 minutes or less) that
potential learners can watch that summarizes what you’ll teach in your course and
how you’ll teach it. Think of this as the video version of your course landing page.
 2. Course preview: In the curriculum section, make sure you’ve enabled multiple
lectures (at least 10 minutes) that showcase the most valuable/noteworthy content of
your course for potential learners to preview.

Once you’ve optimized your title and subtitle, you’re ready for the next phase of
optimizations with CLP Checklist 2.

CLP Checklist 2

Your intended learner audience, course learning

objectives, description, and lectures
Now that you have your keyword list and a strong title and subtitle it’s time to focus on other
important sections of your CLP. The following sections help students decide whether or not
your course is right for them. These are great places to use the keywords you’ve identified.

Learning objectives

After your title and subtitle, this section is the most prominent on your CLP, visible to
potential learners under the “What you’ll learn” header. Make sure you weave your
keywords throughout the course learning objectives and cover the following:

 Are there 4-6 clear, focused goals?

 Do the goals align with the course content?
 Do these learning objectives describe actions your learners will be able to do after
completing your course?
 Does each goal start with an active verb?
 Have you incorporated your top keywords?
 Are the goals realistic and achievable within the course?

To edit this in the CLP, in the course builder find the field under Plan your course > Intended
learners > What will students learn in your course?

Section/Lecture Titles

Your Section and Lecture Titles are displayed under the Course Content section of the CLP.
Review the copy in your curriculum section to ensure that you leverage keywords throughout
the section and lecture titles to further optimize the content in your CLP.

1. Are they specific, concise, and accurately summarize what’s taught in your course?
2. Do they use phrases that make sense outside the context of the course and align with
how students would search for this topic on Google (for example, “how-to” phrases)?

To edit this in the CLP, in the course builder find this field under Create your content >
Curriculum

The good news is that once you’ve completed this exercise to improve the keywords and
content on your course landing page (CLP), this should help make your course more visible
and discoverable through search on Udemy’s marketplace and on external search engines,
such as Google.

Requirements

List any required skills, experience, tools or equipment students should have prior to taking
your course. If there are no requirements, use this as an opportunity to lower the barrier for
beginners.

Course Description

The course description gives you a great opportunity to double down on what your course is
about. This is your chance to express what you have to offer and what makes you and your
course unique. You want your passion and personality to shine through and it’s a great place
to set the expectations for the learning experience you deliver. When done right, this helps
establish trust and keeps the reader engaged. Speak directly to your potential learners using
“you” language. This information is found under the Description section on the course
landing page..

 Does it start with a hook that speaks to the pain point(s) / goal(s) / aspiration(s) of the
intended audience?
 Is it easy to follow and understand (e.g. important info first, paragraphs are well
structured and concise)?
 Does it describe the resources, activities, projects, and materials included in your
course?
 Does it include relevant background information about why you are the right person
to teach this course?
 Does it clearly highlight the key values of taking your course?
 Does it demonstrate how your course is different from others?
 Does it set expectations of how engaged you are (e.g. how often you answer
questions, update the course)?
 Does it explain what students will accomplish during and beyond the course? You can
even include student testimonials to explain.
 Does it include calls to action to watch the promo video, free lectures, and enroll in
the course?
 Finally, are the phrases you identified during your keyword research organically
incorporated throughout the description?

Use this guide to help you structure your description:

1. Start by identifying your intended student. Use “If you are [type of student]. Make the
first few sentences very engaging so you can hook learners in. Rhetorical questions
work well here. Speak directly to a pain point or goal.
2. Short paragraph with high level overview of your course and the unique benefit it
gives students.
3. In this course, you will + bullet points on key value the course brings. Start each
bullet with an action verb (Develop, master). Avoid verbs like Learn, Know, or
Understand.
4. Why learn about this topic? What makes it so important or useful?
5. Mention some of the course activities students will complete.
 6. Why this course is different or why students should learn from you.
7. End with a call to action.

To edit this in the CLP, in the course builder find the field under Publish your course >
Course landing page > Course description.

Intended Audience

Before you begin editing, spend a moment thinking about your intended learner audience.
Understanding their needs and goals will help you write compelling copy to attract the right
learners to your course. No course is truly for everyone. Get specific and avoid copy that’s
too general. This information will live under the Who this course is for section on the
course landing page. Answer the following questions:

 Is your course for a specific type of person with a particular goal?

 Does your intended audience include a student level (beginner, intermediate,
advanced) and/or a specific segment (for entrepreneurs, web developers)?
 Is it clear who the course is not for?

End of market your course section.

Structure of the course

Core Content Sections
Divide the main content of your course into several sections, each focusing on a
particular aspect of the topic. Here's how you can structure these:

1. Section Introduction:
 Begin each section with a brief overview of what will be covered and how it
fits into the overall course objectives.
2. Individual Lessons/Lectures:
 Each section should include multiple lessons that are focused on specific
subtopics or skills.
 Use a mix of teaching methods, including video lectures, readings, and
interactive elements.
3. Practical Exercises and Examples:
 Incorporate practical exercises, case studies, or examples to help students
apply what they’ve learned.
4. Quizzes and Assignments:
 End each section with a quiz or assignment to assess students’ understanding
and reinforce learning.
Conclusion Section
1. Course Recap:
 Summarize the key points covered in the course, reinforcing the main
takeaways and how they interconnect.
2. Next Steps:
  Provide guidance on how students can continue learning about the topic,
including recommending further reading, practice exercises, or related
courses.
3. Encourage Feedback:
 Ask for reviews and feedback on the course to improve future iterations and
engage with your student community.
4. Certificate of Completion:
 Remind students that they will receive a certificate from Udemy upon
completing the course, serving as a motivator and reward for their effort.
Course example:

Course Title: Introduction to Digital Marketing

Course Introduction
 Overview of digital marketing
 Importance of digital marketing in today's world
 Objectives of the course
Module 1: Understanding Digital Marketing
 Definition and scope of digital marketing
 Difference between digital and traditional marketing
 Overview of digital marketing channels
Module 2: Website Optimization and SEO
 Basics of website creation and design principles
 Introduction to Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
 On-page and off-page SEO techniques
 Tools for SEO analysis
Module 3: Content Marketing
 Importance of content in digital marketing
 Types of content marketing (blogging, video content, infographics)
 Content strategy and planning
 Tools for content creation and distribution
Module 4: Social Media Marketing
 Overview of major social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn)
 Developing a social media marketing strategy
 Social media advertising
 Measuring social media success
Module 5: Email Marketing
 Basics of email marketing
 Creating effective email campaigns
 Email marketing tools and analytics
 Best practices for email marketing
Module 6: Paid Advertising
 Introduction to paid advertising (PPC, display ads, social media ads)
 Google Ads and Facebook Ads overview
 Creating and optimizing ad campaigns
 Measuring and analyzing ad performance
Module 7: Analytics and Measurement
 Introduction to digital analytics
 Tools for tracking and analyzing website traffic (Google Analytics)
 Measuring campaign success and ROI
 Making data-driven decisions in digital marketing
Module 8: Digital Marketing Strategy
 Developing a digital marketing plan
 Integrating digital marketing channels
 Trends and future of digital marketing
 Case studies and practical examples
Course Conclusion
 Recap of key concepts
 Continuing education and resources in digital marketing
 Final project or exam
Assignments and Practical Work
 Throughout the course, include hands-on assignments and practical exercises that
allow students to apply what they've learned. For example, creating a blog post,
developing a social media marketing plan, or setting up a Google Ads campaign.
Resources and Further Reading
 Provide a list of recommended books, websites, and tools for further exploration of
digital marketing topics.